Nurtured from Nature

Edward Mountain MSP @1edmountain speaks strongly of his deep concerns on the totally unacceptable high levels of mortality rates of farmed fish to the Govt Minister,at the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland at Scottish Parliament:

Keith the Apocalypse Bringer is a three-year-old Anglo-Nubian goat in a field in Devon. Keith should not be underestimated. Keith has been systematically dismantling the ecosystem since approximately 7am, when he ate a bramble. This is significant because bramble is an invasive scrub species that outcompetes wildflowers, reduces biodiversity, and creates dense monoculture thicket that nothing else can use. Keith ate it. Keith does this every day. Keith does not charge for this service. 8:15am - Keith ate a thistle. Thistles are also considered invasive scrub in managed pasture. Goldfinches eat thistle seeds, but Keith's grazing will ensure the pasture remains open enough for the ground-nesting birds that can't use dense scrub. Keith has not attended a conservation workshop. Keith arrived at this conclusion by being a goat. 9:00am - Keith dismantled a section of hedge. This was less helpful. Keith does not have a perfect record. 10:30am - Keith escaped the field. He was in the road for eleven minutes. He ate a neighbour's rose. This is not being counted in Keith's environmental impact assessment. 11:00am - Keith was returned to the field. Keith regarded the farmer with the specific expression of an animal that does not recognise the concept of property. 12:00pm - Keith ate more bramble. His digestive system: four stomachs, a rumen full of specialised microorganisms, the ability to extract nutrition from lignified plant matter that would defeat any other animal on this field, is converting scrub vegetation into milk with a fat content of approximately 4.5%. The milk will become cheese. The cheese will be sold at the farm shop. The farm shop is four miles away. The cheese food miles are: four. 3:00pm - Keith produced manure. The manure will grow the grass. The grass will grow the bramble. The bramble will be eaten by Keith. This system has no inputs. It has been running since goats were domesticated approximately ten thousand years ago. Keith is not aware he is saving the planet. Keith is thinking about whether the fence on the north side has a weak point. It does. Keith found it at 4:45pm. Keith got out again.

Big Food has devoured British farmers - UnHerd unherd.com/2026/01/big-fo…

Nature is our greatest ally - not by any stretch a hindrance.

A great report from the @Natures_Voice the people want nature… ‘growth’ at any cost is not in the interest of the public.

In 2015 we were bankrupted because big dairy said our milk; worth 27p in September was worth 15p in October then 9.7p by Spring. We had no control, and no way out without selling our cows We had a few cows we couldn’t sell to another dairy - the only route for them was direct to the slaughterhouse; so we had an idea That idea, was to take control and deliver our milk directly to YOU - because YOU saw value in real milk from somewhere not controlled by BIG DAIRY and supermarkets It’s been so incredibly hard too - but we’re still here, now we support other farmers too. But that’s impossible for everyone to do - it’s a full system change that’s needed But it’s not been enough, farmers across the nation have just been given massive price cuts yet again without notice - told their milk is collapsing in price because of ‘international market pressures’ Market pressures controlled by the same corporations and supermarkets giving them the price cuts. And off of this in a country that doesn’t produce enough milk to feed itself - how udderly ironic. Very best of luck @parkviewdairy ❤️

Scientists just found dolphins with Alzheimer’s. Yes, dolphins. The ocean’s geniuses are literally losing their memories. In a shocking discovery, researchers studying stranded dolphins in Scotland found something terrifying. When they looked at the dolphins’ brains under a microscope, they saw the same signs humans get with Alzheimer’s disease. The same tangled proteins. The same sticky plaques. The same slow destruction of memory and awareness. At first, scientists thought it was a mistake. Dolphins are known for incredible intelligence. They recognize themselves in mirrors. They have names for each other. They even mourn their dead. How could a creature like that develop something so human? Then the connection became clear. The waters they swim in are full of toxins like mercury, lead, and other pollutants that build up in their bodies over time. These chemicals damage brain cells, disrupt hormones, and can trigger degenerative diseases. Basically, we’re poisoning the oceans, and the smartest animals in them are paying the price. Some researchers think this could also explain a haunting mystery: mass strandings. Dolphins sometimes beach themselves in groups, seemingly confused or disoriented. If their brains are being damaged by toxins, that confusion might not be random. It could be a tragic symptom. It’s eerie to think about. Alzheimer’s used to be something we only associated with humans. Now, we’re seeing the same patterns in wild animals who live completely different lives. The line between us and the natural world just got a lot thinner. The saddest part? Dolphins can’t tell us when they’re struggling. They just start acting differently, swimming slower, forgetting familiar routes, or following sick podmates to shore. We always call dolphins the “brains of the sea.” But if the oceans keep getting dirtier, those brilliant minds might keep breaking down. Maybe the real test of our intelligence is whether we care enough to stop it.

Working together

@NerbasBrosAngus Genius 🙌

I can’t be the first? Can I?

It’s such a shame that people believe you can just relocate all endangered species and habitats. Thats not how it works. You can’t move an ecosystem that takes centuries to establish. We need to protect our irreplaceable habitats.

@StephensonC We decided not to cut any hay this year, so are hoping the stockpile is going to be enough to get us through the winter - it looks great now but time will tell if we made the right gamble…

@LowAuldgirth So much grass.

Monday vibes, from the best office in the world (probably).

Believe it or not: I’m a farmer. Not the farmer’s wife, not a farm manager, not a farmer’s daughter. Just a farmer. 👩‍🌾 #iykyk

Just a moment to sign, help end the largest cause of animal suffering, disease and pollution…

I love my farm pigeons, their cooing is a very relaxing background noise when I’m in the barns. I often wonder why such a beautiful creature is viewed by many as a pest.

Pleased to see my letter in @FarmersWeekly - although they took the last two paragraphs off. It originally finished as per following two posts 🧵

@JoanneRCoates I have a poorly lamb in the shed right now and am feeling the same sense of sorrow, guilt and inadequacy. It's all part of the job, but it doesn't make you bullet proof. A life on the land is relentless. Thank you for sharing, and talking.

It's not just councils, it's also homeowners who are mowing, strimming & spraying the verges. So many verges here look more like lawns, no wildflowers, no insects, no invertebrates just lots of tidiness & a huge biodiversity problem.

@theethicaldairy Hear hear David - we shouldn’t have to tolerate this s**t in our food, in our landscapes in our lives and the lives of those who come after us. The government should know better. - let’s put the pressure on for food being seen as medicine.

David has given his inner Victor Meldrew full rein in his latest blog... 𝐈 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭! I guess I’m now old enough to be classed as a ‘grumpy old man’. I usually try to keep my blogs upbeat, but… Read in full at: theethicaldairy.co.uk/blog/i-dont-be…

Though the demise of 190 dairy farmers last year might not have reduced the amount of milk produced, the true cost of the big-is-beautiful mindset is the destruction of our island’s food sovereignty, local economy, quality of the milk and welfare of the cows. #Foodsecurity #Animalwelfare #Dairyfarming podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/27-…